Combination portable clothes basket and stand



A. M. ADAMS 2,797,102 COMBINATION PORTABLE CLOTHES BASKET ANDFSTAND June25, 1957 :5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, 1955 y; .2." Fig INVENTO June'25, 1957 A. M. ADAMS 2,797,102

COMBINATLQNPORTABLE CLOTHES BASKET AND STAND 7 Filed Oct. 11, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

J1me 1957 A. M. ADAMS 2,797,102

COMBINATION PORTABLE CLOTHES BASKET AND STAND Filed Oct. I |.l, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTO United States Patent() COMBINATION PORTABLECLOTHES BASKET AND STAND Aaron M. Adams, Philadelphia, Pa. ApplicationOctober 11, 1955, Serial No. 539,788 4 Claims. (Cl. 280-30) My inventionrelates to a new and useful combination portable clothes basket andstand has for one of its objects to provide a wheeled and foldable standcollapsed into a relatively small parcel for storage purposes andreadily and quickly extended for use.

Another object of the invention is to provide the stand with anadjustable step to be used by a person for reaching clothes linesupports, such as hooks, and the clothes line itself, if desirable,which are normally beyond the reach of the user.

Another object of this invention is to mount the stand on casters and toso arrange the step that its own legs are normally out of contact withthe ground or other equivalent supporting surface and which legs arecaused to contact the ground when a person mounts the step, said steplegs being devoid of casters whereby movement of the stand willsubstantially be prevented while the step is occupied.

Another object of the invention is to detachably connect the frameelements whereby they may be disconnected and the whole device packed,stored in a warehouse, shipped and delivered in a knocked downcondition.

Another object of this invention is to construct certain elements of theframe so they may be utilized as a clothes line holder.

A further object of the invention is-to provide a clothes basketconstructed for cooperative removable connection with a portion of thestand.

A still further object of the present invention is to construct theclothes basket in a novel manner in order to provide a primaryreceptacle or compartment for clothes and secondary receptacles orcompartments for clothes pins and the like, said secondary receptaclespartly constituting the clothes basket hangers for supporting the basketon the movable stand when the latter is set up for use;

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of thedetails of construction and combination of elements hereinafter setforth and then designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same I will describeits construction in detail referring by numerals to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part hereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combination portable 2,797,102Patented June 25, 1957 2 hand end of Fig. 3 which, for purposes ofdescription, will be considered as the front end.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the frame and showing in dotted lines some ofthe initial positions of certain elements during the folding operations.

Fig. 7 also is a side view of the frame substantially completely foldedfor storage purposes.

In carrying out the invention as herein embodied there is provided,primarily, a portable and movable stand 15 including a top frame 16consisting of a pair of parallel side rails 17 and parallel end rails 18at right angles to said side rails. The side and end rai'ls integralwith or separate from one another.

On one end of the frame 16 at both sides thereof are swingingly anddetachably mounted, what is termed for convenience of description, thefront legs 19 by means of appropriate bolts or screws 20 passing throughthe upper ends of the legs and the side rails and suitable nuts 21. Inorder that both front legs 19 shall move in unison they are braced by across piece 22 detachably secured in place to said legs by appropriatemeans indicated by the nuts 23.

On the opposite or rear end of the frame 16 at both sides thereof alsoare swingingly and detachably mounted the rear legs 24 by means ofappropriate bolts or screws 25 passing through the frame side rails andsaid rear legs adjacent their upper ends and suitable nuts 26. The rearlegs 24 are also tied together and braced by a cross piece 27 which isdetachably secured at opposite ends to said rear legs by suitable meansrepresented by the nuts 28. The upper portions of the rear legs 24 arefashioned into arcuate extensions 29 to constitute holders for a clothesline 30, Fig. 1, which can have one end tied to one extension holder andthen Wrapped back and forth around both of the extension holders.

Both pairs of legs 19, 24 are temporarily held in their adjustments,wherein they are perpendicular to the frame, by their respectivefastening devices including the nuts 21 and 26 and are further supportedand braced by the collapsible or contractible connecting member 31. Theconnecting member 31 comprises telescoping outer and inner tubes 32 and33, respectively, the latter sliding within the former and being held inthe retracted and extended positions by a set screw 34 having threadedconnection with the outer tube 32 and projecting through the same forcontact with the inner tube 33. The outer end of said outer tube 32 isattached to the cross piece 27 and designed to rotate about the axis ofsaid cross piece 27 for a purpose to be later described. The inner tubehas a notch 35 adjacent its outer or free end to engage a portion of thecross piece 22 which also has a notch 36 to receive the notched outportion of the connecting member, particularly the inner tube thereof.

One pair of legs, as the forward legs 19, are pivoted inside of the topframe while the other pair of legs, as the rear legs 24, are pivotedoutside of said top frame. By this arrangement one set of legs occupiesless transverse space than the other set of legs and therefore the setsof legs can pass each other when swung up underneath of the top frameand nest together when the stand is folded. All of the legs of the standare provided with casters 37 or wheels whereby the apparatus mayconveniently be moved or wheeled about.

A step 38 is swingingly mounted on the cross piece 27 for rotationapproximately ninety degrees about the axis of said cross piece 27whereby said step may be swung into a substantially horizontal positionor raised to a location between the pair of rear legs 24 and undercertain conditions depressed below the horizontal position or detachablyhingedly connected at their upper ends to the outer or free end of thestep by fastening means such 3 as screws 40 and nuts 41. The legs 39 ofthe step are joined and braced by a cross piece 42 to prevent spreadingthereof. Means is provided to normally hold the legs 39 -ofthe step 38out .of, contactwith the ground-or.- slightly elevated relative to-thesurface on.which=;the-v casters 37 rest and said means mayincludeksiderails'. 43 detachably pivotally connected to the step legs.39 and to the adjacent rear legs of ,the standaas indicated at '44 39,rails 43, and relatively fixed stand legs 24 is freely:

movable upon oscillation of the step-and rails between the upper phantomposition. of Figure 6 and its lower solid line position-with thelowerstep leg ends spaced slightly above thesupporting floor surface.However, upon the application of a downward force on the step, as by thefoot of a user, the rails 43 will be placed under sufficient tension. toallow the lower ends of the step legs 39 to engage with the supportingfloor surface and prevent movement thereon of the entire device. Sincethe legs 39 do not have casters or wheels the stand and step will notmove about while said step is occupied. This permits a relatively shortperson to reach clothes line supporting hooks or hangers located at aconsiderable height as well as the line attached thereto without thenecessity ofemploying a chair or stool and because of the relativelylarge ground area occupied by the complete apparatus the chance oftilting which might result in injury is reduced to a minimum.

A clothes basket 46 either of foraminous material, as in Fig. 2, or ofsheet material, as illustrated in Fig. 1, includes a bottom 47, opposedside walls 48 and opposed end walls 49 and these side and end walls maybeformed rigid as integral parts of the bottom- 47 or hinged thereto in.order to be folded inwardly upon said bottom to form a small parcel.Each end wall 49 has an outwardly extending return bend along the topedge constituting a fiangeor hanger 50 which engage and rest upon therespective end rails of the top frame of the stand to assist insupporting the basket on said stand. To further assist in supporting thebasket on the stand the side walls 48 of the basket also have outwardlyextending return bends along their top edges which constitute flanges orhangers 51 to engage and rest upon the respective side rails 17 of thetop frame of the stand. Certaimof the basket hangers, preferably one orboth of the side hangers 51, are extended and fashioned into the form ofrelatively small receptacles 52 for clothes pins or other articles whichit may be desirable to keep separated from clothes in the main basketcompartment.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that on a day when washing is tobe done the stand is set up outdoors and the step used to fastentheclothes line on hangers at considerable height and, if desirable, alsoutilized for reaching the clothes line while hanging out washed clothesto dry. The basket with'the wet clothes therein is carried out andplaced on the stand which can readily be moved about for the convenienceof the user and the basket being in an elevated position the clothes caneasily be. handled without the person having to. stoop to pick them up.Likewise the clothes pins, if in the receptacles '52 are easy of accessas needed. After the clothes are--dry detaching the connecting member31fromthe cross piece 22; and ,telescopingrthe.1inner tube 33 .into theouter-tube 32, then loosening the nuts 21 and 26, then swingingthe frontleg structure inwardly against the top frame 16 and finally swinging therear leg: structure inwardly towards said top frame and the folded frontleg structure with the step swung into position against the rear legstructure which can be accomplished before or after said rear legstructure is swung into folded position. The collapsed condition of theframe can be maintained by merely tightening the nuts Hand 26; Thefolded stand, Fig. 7, then can be stored in a small space until suchtime as it is to again be used.

It is to be particularly noted that this device is especially useful forpersons of short stature since it provides an elevated platform withtheclothes line and contents of the basket within easy reach of theuser.

By substituting a panel, table top, tray and the like for the basket theapparatus may be employed as a tea wagon or similar device.

Of course I do .notwish to belimited .to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown and described as these may be varied withinthe scope of. the appendedclaims without departing from thespirit of theinvention.

Having described my invention what I claim as. new and useful is:

l. A stand for a clothes basket comprising an oblong frame includingside and end rails, a pair of front legs detachably and pivotallysecured to the. insides of the side rails at one end of theframe, across piece detachably secured to said front legs adjacent the bottomends thereof, a pair of rear legs detachablyand pivotally secured to theoutsides of the side rails .at the other end of the frame, a cross piecedetachably securedto said rear legs adjacent their lower ends, anadjustable extensible and retractable connectingv member having one endsecured to the cross piece of the rear legs leaving the other end free,said free end having a transverse notch to engage a portion of the crosspiece of thefront legs which also has a notch to receive a portionof theconnecting member at the back of its notch whereby said legs areheldperpendicular to the frame, the front. legs being foldable inwardlyagainst the frame when the connecting member is detached and said rearlegs then being foldable inwardly against theframe outside of the frontlegs in nested relation, upwardly and outwardly projecting curvedextensions on the upper ends of the rear legs-to function as holders fora clothes line wrapped thereabouhcasters on the lower ends .oftheindividual. legs whereby the device may be rolled about onthe ground,a step hingedly mounted on the cross piece of the rear legs whereby itmay be moved into a substantiallyv horizontal position, depressed andraised to a position in proximity-to the rear legs,step legs pivoted tothe outer free end of the step and out of contact with the ground whilesaid step is in the horizontal or raised position and contacting theground when the step is depressed due to the weight of a person standingthereon, and oblique sidemembers pivoted to the step legs and the standrear legs to norm lly retain the step in the substantially horizontallowered-position.

2. The structure in claim 1,. in combination with a rectangularv clothesbasket fitting inside of .the frame and provided with hangers engagingthe side and end rails of said frame to removably mount the basket on.the stand.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, in combination with a rectangularclothes basket fitting inside of the frame of the stand and includingside and end Walls, return bend flanges on said side and end walls toengage the side and end rails respectively of said frame to removablymount said basket on the stand,.and receptacles formed with the sideflanges and positioned outside of the frame side walls.

4. In a device of the class described, an oblong frame including sideand end rails, a pair of front legs pivotally secured to the insides ofthe side rails at one end of the frame,- a crosspiecesecured to said-front legs adjacent to the bottom ends thereof, a pair of rear legspivotally secured to the outsides of the side rails at the other end ofthe frame, a crosspiece secured to said rear legs adjacent to theirlower ends, a connecting member having one end secured to the crosspieceof the rear legs and having its other end detachably interengageablewith the crosspiece of the front legs whereby said legs are heldperpendicular to said frame, the front legs being foldable inwardlyagainst the frame when the connecting member is detached and said rearlegs then being 'foldable inwardly against the frame outside of thefront legs in nested relation, upwardly and outwardly projectingextensions on the upper ends of the rear legs to function as holders fora clothesline Wrapped thereabout, castors on the lower ends of theindividual legs whereby the device may be rolled about on the ground, astep hingedly mounted on the crosspiece of the rear legs whereby it maybe moved into References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,436,647 Huey Feb. 24, 1948 2,657,936 Fabel Nov. 3, 1953FOREIGN PATENTS 215,135 Great Britain May 8, 1924 185,645 SwitzerlandNov. 2, 1936

